Method of knitting



Patented Jan. 13, 1942 METHOD F KNITTING William L. smith, Jr., Pawtucket, n.1., assignmto Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R. I., a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 4, 1939, Serial No. 265,956

(Cl. (i6-41) Claims.

The invention relates to knitted fabrics and methods of making the same, and more particularly to fabrics, such as stockings, in the selvage courses of which elastic thread or yarn is incorporated to effect the knitting of 4a selvage and/or garter top.

In the drawing: l

Fig. 1 is amore or less diagrammatic face view of a fabric showing a few wales and courses which constitute the selvage and adjacent courses of a fabric, such as in stocking tops;

Fig. 2 is a conventional view of a stocking illustrating the application of the invention thereto;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the top of the stocking illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of the stitches of a fabric such as illustrated in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5' is a diagrammatic view illustrating a modification of the fabric construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, an elastic thread I is shown as having been engaged by the hooks of every fourth needle, i. e., the needles that knit the wales 2, 3, 4 and 5, etc., to form the selvage course 6. In the following course 1, the -said or another elastic thread I is shown as having been engaged in the hooks of and knitted by the needles that knit the wales 2, 3, 4 and 5, etc., as well as having been engaged in the hooks of the needles that knit the intermediate wales 8, 9, I0, etc. During the knitting of the courses I I, I2, I3, I4, I5, I6 and I1, the elastic thread I is knitted by all of the needles that knit the wales` 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8, 9, I0, etc. The intermediate courses I2 to I6 inclusive, are represented by the broken Tine I8 in Fig. l, but are illustrated in Fig. 4. In said Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, the characters Xindic-ate stitches where the elastic isl engaged inthe hooks of the needles Whereas the characters O indicate the floating of the elastic thread across the wales represented, i. e., the wales pertaining to the needles which intervene between the needles that knit the stitches or in the hooks of which the elastic thread is engaged.

It will be understood that the needles that knit the wales 2, 3, 4, 5, pass through the cams and go through the motions of drawing stitches throughout the knitting of courses 6, 1, and II to I1 inclusive, and the same is true of the needles that knit the wales 8, 9, I0, etc., during the knitting of courses 1, and II to I1 inclusive, although during the knitting of the initial courses the said needles do not actually draw stitches as there are no previous course loops through 'which to draw the same. In other Words, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the fabric to show the `method of knitting. The elastic is under some tension,e. g...

such as described in the St. Pierre Patent No. 2,131,720, September 27, 1938, as a consequence of which the elastic thread or yarn I in thesinitial course is distorted from the appearance of Fig. 1, the elastic thread I of course 6, for example, straightening out.

Although eightcourses, 1, and II to I1, are illustrated in Fig. 4, the number of courses indicated is for illustrative purposes only as it is obvious that the number of such courses 1, and II to I 1 may be increased or diminished.

rThe elastic courses 6, 1. and II to I1 knitted in the manner just described, i. e., with the elastic thread I alone knitting, curl or roll to the outer face of the fabric as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, the curling or rolling, however, stopping at the last elasticpourse I1. Theresultant roll yI9 thus presents a\top strongly resistant to curling or rolling beyond the course I1 by reason of fact that the all-elastic roll I9 strengthens the top edge, such resistance to curling being enhanced by the rib character of the fabric following and constituting the top 20. Subsequent to the' knitting of the top 20, the leg 2I, heel 22, foot 23, and toe 24, may be knitted in any desired manner.

In Fig. 5, a modified form of top is diagrammatically represented in'which elastic thread is engaged in the hooks of alternate needles for the course 25 only. During the knitting of the following courses 26, 21, 28, the elastic thread is fed to the needles in the same manner as in courses 6, 1 and II of the fabric top illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4.

The elastic thread' or yarn I is shown, Fig. l, as having been fed to every fourth needle during the knitting of course 6 and to every other needle during the knitting of courses 1, and II to I1 inclusive. The spacing of the needles which engage the elastic thread or yarn in their hooks, may be varied fromlthat illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4, e. g., the oats'ihay be more than one Wale in length. Furthermore, the elastic thread I may be fed to the spaced needles below the latches thereof instead of into the hooks, as hereinbefore described.

I claim: Y

1. A method of knitting a selvage including the feeding of an elastic thread only into the hooks of spaced needles only and during the knitting of each of a plurality' of consecutivecourses interknitting the elastic thread at-some only of the wales and imposing tension upon the elastic thread during the knitting of the said courses.

2. A method of knitting a selvage including the feeding of an elastic thread only into the hooks oi spaced needles only and during the knitting of each of a plurality of adjacent courses interknittlng the elastic thread at some only of the wales and imposing tension upon the elastic thread during the knitting of thesaid courses.

3. A method of knitting a selvage including the feeding oi' an elastic thread only into the hooks of spaced needles only and during the knitting of each of a plurality of consecutive courses interknittlng the elastic thread at some only of the wales and imposing tension upon the elastic thread during the knitting of the said courses, and then knitting rib-like fabric.

4. A method of knitting a selvage including the feeding of an elastic thread only into the hooks of spaced needles only and during the knitting of each of a plurality of adjacent courses interknitting the elastic thread at some only of the wales and imposing tension upon the elastic thread during the knitting of the said courses, and then knitting rib-like fabric.

5. A method of knitting a selvage including the knitting of an elastic thread only by spaced needles only and during the knitting of each of a plurality of consecutive courses, interknitting the elastic thread at some only oi the wales and imposing tension upon the elastic thread during the knitting of the said courses.

6. A method of knitting a. selvage including the knitting of an elastic thread only by spaced needles only and during the knitting of each of a plurality of adjacent courses, interknitting the elastic thread at some only of the wales and im posing tension upon the elastic thread during' the knitting of the said courses.

7. A method of knitting a selvage including the knitting of an elastic thread only by spaced needles only and during the knitting of each of a plurality of consecutive courses, interknitting the elastic thread at some only of the wales and imposing tension upon the elastic thread during the knitting of the said courses, and then knitting rib-like fabric.

8. A method of knitting a selvage including the knitting of an elastic thread only by spaced needles only and during the knitting of each of a plurality of adjacent courses, interkhitting the elastic thread at some only of the wales and imposing tension upon the elastic thread during the knitting of the said courses, and then knitting rib-like fabric.

9. A method of knitting a selvage including engaging a tensioned elastic thread in the hooks of every fourth needle during the knitting of the rst course, and in the hooks of every other needle during the knitting of a plurality of following courses, and then knitting rib-like courses in continuation thereof.

10. A method of knitting a selvage including engaging a tensioned elasticy thread in the hooks of every fourth needle during the knitting of the rst course, and in the hooks of every other needle during the knitting of a plurality of following courses, and during the knitting of such following courses drawing loops of the said elastic thread through previously drawn loops or stitches, and then knitting rib-like courses in continuation thereof.

WILLIAM L. SMITH, Ja. 

